Some Thoughts...

So it's my last full day in Africa. I'm taking off tomorrow evening and I'm not too happy about it. I'm definitely not ready to leave. Jenny and I are already planning our next trip to Ethiopia though to visit Kende and his family. We're going to head down to Long St. tomorrow so that I can spend the hundred or so Rand that I still have left as it's not really worth converting it back into Canadian money. Jenny's friend Erica is coming over this evening as we are again without car and are just hanging out around home. I feel like I've gained a huge amount by being here, but there's still so much more I want to do. Some thoughts:
- It's impossible to be a white woman and live here without becoming either incredibly paranoid or never leaving your gated community or car
- The gender relations here are insane. I will not pretend to begin to comprehend them.
- As Canadians, we have it far better than we could ever imagine. Waiting three hours at the hospital really isn't that bad
- Money doesn't equal happiness. Really it doesn't. Or maybe more a lack of money does not equal unhappiness. You can leave in a house made of construction scraps and still have the most genuine smile I've ever seen.
- The rest of the world does not necessarily think the same way the Western world does. Being at home with your family can be the greatest achievement you can ever accomplish. Science does not necessarily prevail.
- I have been given more opportunity than the vast majority of the rest of the world.
- I hate minibusses. They scare me. It's still better than being a spoiled white person who never leaves the safety of their car, but nonetheless, they scare me.
This isn't meant to be some sort of didactic lecture. It's not even really aimed at anyone other than myself. These are all things that I already knew somewhere in the back of my mind, but actually had the opportunity to experience. I am really going to miss being in Africa and am coming back as soon as I get the opportunity. There's this sort of incredible spirit here, partly because of the amazing individuals, but also because of the amazing natural beauty that you feel you could just melt into; I feel like I could just be absorbed right into the earth.
Having the opportunity to be with the children at the orphanage here has been one of the most changing experiences of my life. they have next to nothing apart from what the amazing donors and workers can give, but they are still happy and have this incredible amount of love to share. They're no different from any other kid I've met. Again, this isn't amazingly surprising to me, but the actual feeling of it is so huge.
I hope that all of you who are reading this at some point get to have the same sort of opportunity I have. It's really not that different here, or not as different as it could be. It's just amazing ot see things from a different perspective. ...

I will add some more positive conclusions when I am not so pissed about having to leave.